Summer 2019

36 May19336 Founded in 2008, Artistroom Pte Ltd is a design studio that specialises in perfecting the interior environment, customising functional spaces to suit their clients’ very individual needs. For their efforts, the firm was deservedly named ‘Singapore's Best Client-Focused Interior Design Studio’ in the 2019 Leading Designers programme. We spoke to the studio’s Director, Mark Chen, to see how they tackle this challenging and highly competitive industry. Where some designers aim for bombastic interiors, or avant-garde stylistic choices, Artistroom have forged their success through a commitment to cohesiveness, believing it to be they key to timeless, long-lasting design that transcends the whimsical trends of the industry. Moreover, as a holistic interior design firm, they use their extensive experience and expertise to ensure that the complete project is in perfect equilibrium – with the colours, materials, space, and fittings being aligned to create interiors that are effective, and, above all, highly professional. To start the interview, Mark offers more insight into this element of their work: “We design, develop and assist clients during the entire process to ensure that functionality, design and construction go cohesive together. This process really relies on the cohesiveness of the greater team dynamic. The studio’s staff usually have many discussions between each other about their ideas, layouts and plans to ensure that our philosophy and objectives remain very intact from start to finish.” Alongside many of their peers, Artistroom are experiencing a rapidly shifting landscape dictated by changing client behaviours and Innovative Interiors & Creative Spaces Style expectations. Their clients are becoming savvier, more technological adept when it comes to finding inspiration online. Trends, as a result, are spreading faster as people become eager to copy the ‘next big thing’. “Right now, in our industry, a lot of owners are becoming more knowledgeable about the things that they want to have or achieve due to the internet. In addition to that, quality of life is improving, so expectations increase as well. Ultimately, we need to adapt to changes to keep up with current demands.” This has proved vital in an industry that is becoming more and more competitive, as studios look to become, in their own way, cutting edge and innovative. For Artistroom, staying competitive means a dedication to their clients as they look to provide a truly bespoke service. “Our industry is a very competitive field; which usually requires us to always be on our toes. We also try to emphasise our core objective of space planning. At the end of the day, we are a design focused firm looking to give our clients the very best by not repeating our past works, but constantly improving as we go along.” Finally, as Mark concludes in his closing comments, the Singaporean design sector in particular is seeing further challenges, as space becomes a commodity. Like any challenge however, Artistroom is looking to overcome the difficulty through adaptation, seeing opportunity where others may only see defeat. “In Singapore, spaces are getting more and more constrained. So, we will need to think of ways and means to ensure these smaller apartments creatively use space and storage.” Company: Artistroom Pte Ltd Name: Mark Chen, Director Address: 195 Pearl's Hill Terrace, #02-01A, Singapore, 168976 Website: www.artistroom.com.sg Telephone: +65 6557 0244